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MACUNGIE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Mayor Gary Cordner discussed having a chief of police instead of an officer in charge at the Nov. 20 Macungie Borough Council meeting.

Cordner recommended Sgt. Travis Kocher be named chief of police and suggested the new chief have civil service protection, which means the chief would have legal protection should any borough politicians try to remove him from the job.

Kocher said he would accept the position at council’s will. No decision was made at the Nov. 20 meeting.

Cordner also said the police department has done a good job operating within their budget and there is a lot of information and correspondence on the police department’s Facebook page.

Other news at the meeting included the announcement the Macungie and Lower Macungie fire departments will begin training together effective Jan. 1, 2018. Borough council has received more training records from the Macungie Fire Department. A recommendation was approved to make a second payment to the Macungie Fire Department. The fire department is now up to 18 members. Editor's Note: This is a corrected version of the story.

Council members heard a pollution reduction presentation by Justin Brown from Acela Engineering. Brown explained the pollution reduction plan shows how the borough will reduce pollutants in Swabia Creek and Mountain Creek.

The goal of the plan is to reduce the pollutants in each drop of water entering a pipe or drain. A reduction of sediment by at least 10 percent is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Brown said the existing sediment is 570,310 pounds per year and Brown said Macungie should reduce 57,031 pounds per year.

Brown talked about options for pollution reduction. The option of street sweeping would occur 25 times per year and have a high annual cost. Inlet inserts and dry basin retrofits would have high maintenance costs and basin retrofits have high upfront costs. Brown said streambank restoration and rain gardens could provide big pollution reduction numbers while also offering affordable long-term results.

Resident Donald Hemmer spoke in front of borough council to discuss Village Walk Drive and West End Trail. Hemmer took issue with cars not stopping at the Village Walk Drive and West End Trail intersection saying 56 children use a bus stop at the intersection. Hemmer said two neighbors have had confrontations with drivers of cars not stopping.

“We need help,” Hemmer said, “We are afraid that a child will get injured.

“If you do not give people tickets for this misdemeanor, it becomes acceptable,” he continued.

Hemmer talked about the possibility of putting in walkways or speed bumps at the intersection.

The Macungie Holiday will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 9. The borough is looking for light up lawn figures to replace decorations around the tree.

Council members went into executive session to deal with personnel issues and there was action taken.

The next meeting of Macungie Borough Council will be held 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Macungie Institute. Meetings take place on the first and third meetings of the month.